 McDavid, Pastrnak and Tkachuk Voted Hart Trophy FinalistsNHL Public RelationsMay 12, 2023
NEW YORK (May 12, 2023) – Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak and Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk are the three finalists for the 2022-23 Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Hart Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be revealed live during the 2023 NHL Awards at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Monday, June 26 (8 p.m. ET, TNT, SN, TVAS).
Following are the finalists for the Hart Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Connor McDavid, C, Edmonton Oilers
McDavid, who already captured both the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer and the Art Ross Trophy as the League’s top point producer, registered career highs in goals (64), assists (89) and points (153) across 82 games to become the fifth different player to outright pace the NHL in all three categories and the first since Wayne Gretzky in 1986-87 (62-121—183 in 79 GP w/ EDM). McDavid’s 64 goals were the most by any player since 2007-08 (Alex Ovechkin: 65 G in 82 GP w/ WSH), while his 153 points were the highest total since 1995-96 (Mario Lemieux: 69-92—161 in 70 GP w/ PIT). He found the scoresheet in 75 of his 82 appearances (91.5%), the highest percentage by any player in a single season (minimum: 50 GP) since Gretzky in 1990-91 (93.6%, 73 of 78 GP w/ LAK), and factored on a League-high 47.1 percent of his team’s total goals (325, excluding shootout-deciding goals). The 26-year-old McDavid also set or matched career highs and ranked among the 2022-23 leaders in power-play assists (1st; 50), power-play points (1st; 71), power-play goals (2nd; 21), game-winning goals (t-2nd; 11), shots on goal (3rd; 352), shorthanded goals (t-3rd; 4) and shorthanded points (t-3rd; 7). A Hart Trophy finalist for the fifth time and already a two-time winner (2020-21 and 2016-17), McDavid is seeking to become the fifth player to take home the award at least three times within his first eight NHL seasons, after Gretzky (8x), Bobby Clarke (3x), Bobby Orr (3x) and Alex Ovechkin (3x).
David Pastrnak, RW, Boston Bruins
Pastrnak placed second in the League with 61 goals and third with 113 points across 82 contests (61-52—113) to propel Boston to NHL records for wins (65) and standings points (135) in a season. He became the second player in franchise history – and first in nearly 50 years – to register a 60-goal campaign, joining Phil Esposito (4x, most recently 1974-75: 61 G in 79 GP), and posted the highest point total by a Bruins player since 1992-93 (Adam Oates: 45-97—142 in 84 GP). Pastrnak led the NHL by scoring 20.3 percent of Boston’s 301 total goals (excluding shootout-deciding goals), the second time he has accounted for at least 20 percent of the Bruins’ total tallies (following his Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy-winning season of 2019-20: 21.1%). He also finished among the top 2022-23 performers in game-winning goals (1st; 13), shots on goal (1st; 407), hat tricks (t-2nd; 3), power-play goals (t-6th; 18), power-play points (t-8th; 37) and plus/minus (t-9th; +34). The 26-year-old Pastrnak, a first-time NHL Awards finalist, is Boston’s first Hart Trophy finalist since 1989-90, when Ray Bourque placed second in voting, and is seeking to become the first Bruin to win the award since 1973-74 (Esposito). The Havirov native also is vying to become the third different Czechia-born player in NHL history to take home the Hart Trophy, after Dominik Hasek (2x; Pardubice) and Jaromir Jagr (Kladno) combined to win it for three straight seasons from 1996-97 through 1998-99.
Matthew Tkachuk, LW, Florida Panthers
Tkachuk, acquired in a July trade, ranked seventh in the NHL with 40-69—109 in 79 outings to lead the Panthers – who were as many as nine points outside of a postseason spot through games of Dec. 28 (15-16-4) – to their fourth straight playoff berth, a first in franchise history. Sixty-nine of Tkachuk’s 109 points came in his 47 appearances after Dec. 28 (25-44—69), the fourth-highest total in the League over that span, as Florida closed the regular season on a 27-16-4 run to claim the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Tkachuk, who added MVP honors in front of his hometown fans at the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game, became the fourth player in NHL history to record consecutive 100-point campaigns after changing teams during the offseason – a feat last achieved by Jimmy Carson (w/ EDM) and Wayne Gretzky (w/ LAK) in 1988‑89. The 25-year-old Tkachuk, also a first-time NHL Awards finalist, is the third Hart Trophy finalist in Panthers history, after Pavel Bure and John Vanbiesbrouck placed third in voting in 1999-00 and 1993-94, respectively. The Scottsdale, Ariz., native is looking to become the second straight and third overall U.S.-born and trained player to capture the award, following Auston Matthews (San Ramon, Calif.) in 2021-22 and Patrick Kane (Buffalo, N.Y.) in 2015-16. Tkachuk also is seeking to become the sixth player in NHL history to win the Hart Trophy in his first season with a new franchise and the first since Joe Thornton in 2005-06 (w/ SJS).
History
The Hart Memorial Trophy was presented by the NHL in 1960 after the original Hart Trophy was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame. The original Hart Trophy was donated to the NHL in 1924 by Dr. David A. Hart, father of Cecil Hart, former manager-coach of the Montreal Canadiens. 2023 NHL Awards Finalists
Finalists now have been announced for the below 2023 NHL Awards. Finalists for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award and King Clancy Memorial Trophy will be announced later during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Clayton Keller (ARI)
Kris Letang (PIT)
Alex Stalock (CHI)
Calder Memorial Trophy
Matty Beniers (SEA)
Owen Power (BUF)
Stuart Skinner (EDM)
Frank J. Selke Trophy
Patrice Bergeron (BOS)
Nico Hischier (NJD)
Mitchell Marner (TOR)
Hart Memorial Trophy
Connor McDavid (EDM)
David Pastrnak (BOS)
Matthew Tkachuk (FLA)
Jack Adams Award
Dave Hakstol (SEA)
Jim Montgomery (BOS)
Lindy Ruff (NJD)
James Norris Memorial Trophy
Adam Fox (NYR)
Erik Karlsson (SJS)
Cale Makar (COL)
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
Jack Hughes (NJD)
Anze Kopitar (LAK)
Brayden Point (TBL)
Ted Lindsay Award
Erik Karlsson (SJS)
Connor McDavid (EDM)
David Pastrnak (BOS)
Vezina Trophy
Connor Hellebuyck (WPG)
Ilya Sorokin (NYI)
Linus Ullmark (BOS)
Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award™
Jason McCrimmon (Detroit, Mich.)
Karen Ota-O’Brien (Coconut Creek, Fla.)
Marty Richardson (Littleton, Colo.)
Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award presented by Hyundai
Derek Klein (Shellbrook, Sask.)
Dean Smith (Halifax, N.S.)
Saroya Tinker (Toronto, Ont.)
More information about NHL Awards – including descriptions, voting details, and lists of winners and finalists – can be found at Records.NHL.com. ### (5/12/23) |
